On This Day . . .

What grows stronger with age?

Concrete Boat

October 21, 1824: Joseph Aspdin Patents Portland Cement

Joseph Aspdin, a British bricklayer from Leeds, is considered to be the originator of Portland cement. He made concrete by burning grounded chalk and finely crushed clay in a lime kiln until the carbon dioxide evaporated, producing a strong cement. Portland cement has remained the dominant cement used in concrete production today.

Its name is derived from its similarity to Portland stone, a type of building stone that was quarried on the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England.

Portland Cement: Material made by heating a mixture of limestone and clay in a kiln at about 1450 C, then grinding to a fine powder with a small addition of gypsum.

Concrete: Synthetic rock made using cement mixed with aggregate and water.

Concrete. Through a process called hydration, the cement and water harden and bind the aggregates into a rocklike mass. This hardening process continues for years meaning that concrete gets stronger as it gets older.

It is fireproof, waterproof, corrosion proof, can be squeezed into small gaps and is able to support huge amounts of weight? No large structures could exist without it. Concrete forms a foundation for most structures in modern society. Also used for mortar to apply masonry, stucco, grout. Imagine roadways without cement.

In 1891, George Bartholomew, placed the first concrete street in the U.S.A. in Bellefontaine OH it still exists today.

In 1903, the first concrete high rise was built in Cincinnati, OH.

In 1936, the first major concrete dams, Hoover Dam and Grand Coulee Dam were built.

Hoover Dam

In 1992 the tallest reinforced concrete building in the world was built in Chicago, Illinois (946 ft.). 311 S. Wacker Dr. Chicago.

311 S. Wacker Dr. Chicago

In 1999 polished concrete was first introduced by HTC, a Swedish company, and installed a 40,000 square foot warehouse floor for the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.

Dr. Marion Hansen taught students at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology to build and fly this concrete airplane.

Concrete Couch

Assembly Hall – University of Illinois, The First Concrete Domed Sport Structure, 1967